Peach Hand Pies with Spiced Yogurt Dipping Sauce

By Adrian J.S. Hale as featured on The Oregonian

Crust: 

3 cups all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
4 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water (divided) 

Filling: 

3 to 4 peaches (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon minute tapioca

Yogurt sauce: 

2 cardamom pods
2 cups whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Pinch salt
Pinch of saffron threads
Vanilla extract
Egg wash:1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water 

To make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Place the bowl in the freezer for at least 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours). Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and refrigerate until ready to use. Beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water and put in the fridge until ready to use.

Attach the bowl to the food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with a few marble-sized pieces of butter throughout (you can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter). Add the egg mixture and pulse a few times. If the dough seems dry, add more ice-cold water, a tablespoonful at a time, until it comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Gather into a ball, divide in half and press each into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (and up to 24 hours).

To make the filling: Peel the peaches (a serrated peeler works best) and cut them into a very small dice. Place in a medium bowl and toss with the sugar. Transfer peaches to a colander or strainer and set over a bowl to catch the juices. Let sit for at least an hour.

Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to a sticky syrup. Allow to cool. Transfer the peaches to a bowl. Add the cooled syrup, lemon juice, salt, almond extract and tapioca. Toss well to combine. Allow mixture to rest for about 15 minutes while the tapioca begins to absorb the liquid.

To make the sauce: Meanwhile, remove the cardamom seeds from the pods and crush them in a mortar and pestle or with the bottom of a cup. Place in a medium bowl, along with the yogurt, powdered sugar, salt, saffron and vanilla. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble and bake: Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator a few minutes before using. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's 1/4 -inch thick. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut out 6 to 8 rounds of dough. Arrange on a sheet pan and refrigerate while you repeat the process with the second disk of dough.

On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out each round until it's 5-inches across and  1/8 -inch thick. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of filling onto each one. Brush the edges with water and fold the dough over to create a half moon. Use a fork to press the edges together. Cut a couple of slits into each pie, and place on the lined baking sheets. Place in the freezer while the oven preheats to 375 degrees. (You can freeze the pies up to one month.)
 
Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown, turning the sheet pan from front to back halfway through. Let cool to room temperature and serve with yogurt sauce for dipping. 

Jasmine Rice Salad with Wasabi Leaf Pesto and Crystallized Ginger

By Adrian J.S. Hale as featured on The Oregonian

Makes 6 to 8 servings Wasabi leaves aren't easy to come by, but if you can find them they are well worth it for this bright, spicy pesto. (Flying Fish Co. in Southeast Portland usually carries leaves as well as roots from Frog Eyes Wasabi.) If wasabi leaves are unavailable, mustard greens make a good substitute. For an even richer flavor, make the rice with stock instead of water.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups jasmine rice
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 bunch wasabi leaves or mustard greens (about 10 ounces)
1 cup cashews, roasted (if you buy them roasted and salted, adjust the salt below)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces crystallized ginger, cut into 1/4-­‐inch cubes (about 1/4 cup)
6 ounces peas
1 summer squash, cut into 1/4 -­‐inch cubes

To make the rice: Soak the jasmine rice in cold water for at least 10 minutes. When it is slightly plumped and opaque, transfer to a colander or strainer and rinse under cold water until the liquid runs clear. Put the rice in a medium saucepan, along with 4 cups water. Set over medium-­‐high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 14 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

To make the pesto: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the garlic cloves and blanch for 2 minutes, until the skin starts to loosen. Remove with a slotted spoon. Peel the cloves and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the greens, cashews, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is homogenous and the texture is no longer chunky, but not quite smooth. In a large bowl, combine the cooled rice with the pesto. Toss in the crystallized ginger, peas and summer squash. (Can be made and refrigerated three days ahead.) 

Homemade Potato and Wasabi Chips

By Adrian J.S. Hale as featured on The Oregonian

Frying the wasabi together with potatoes gives these chips a subtle and pungent heat that is addictive and hard to place. For a cheater's version, buy good quality potato chips and only fry the wasabi. Toss them together before serving. You can make these in the morning and they'll stay crisp all day.
 

INGREDIENTS

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
2 fresh wasabi roots, peeled
Vegetable oil, for frying
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut the potatoes and wasabi into 1/8 -inch thick disks. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with 3 inches of oil and place over medium-high heat.

When a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees, add a handful of potatoes and wasabi. Fry until golden, turning and flipping regularly to encourage even cooking. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the chips to a brown paper bag to drain. Sprinkle with a generous handful of salt, and pepper if desired.

Braised Beef Sandwiches with Cucumber Wasabi Cream

By Adrian J.S. Hale as featured on The Oregonian

Makes 8 to 10 sandwiches

This roast can be made either with bone-­‐in or boneless chuck roast. The bone lends richness and flavor, but both will generally be the same. If you get bone-­‐in, use the larger roast size. Fresh wasabi loses its vibrant heat pretty quickly after being grated. For best results, grate the wasabi right before serving.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup soy sauce  
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
One 4 to 5 pound chuck roast
1 onion, split in half lengthwise
5 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf Cucumber-­‐sesame cream
1 small cucumber • 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3/4 cup yogurt
8 to 10 rolls, for serving
Fresh wasabi root, for serving

To cook the meat: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine soy sauce, mirin, water and sugar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Fit the meat, onion and garlic into a large Dutch oven. Pour the soy sauce mixture over it (the meat will not be fully submerged). Set the pan over medium-­‐high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add the bay leaf, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning occasionally, until tender enough to fall apart. (Alternatively, cook in a slow-­‐cooker on low for 7 hours.) Transfer meat to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into shreds. Strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup, allow fat to rise to the surface and spoon off as much as possible. Return liquid to the pan, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid by half until it is thick and slightly sticky. Remove from heat, add the shredded meat and allow to cool. (Can be prepared and refrigerated up to three days ahead.)

To make the cucumber-­‐sesame cream: Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the cucumber into a bowl. Toss with the salt. Transfer to a colander or strainer. Set over a bowl or in the sink. Let sit for about an hour, then press on the cucumbers to drain off the excess moisture. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil and yogurt until thoroughly combined. Stir in the drained cucumbers. To assemble the sandwiches: Split the rolls lengthwise, but not all the way through. Pile with a good helping of beef, and spoon about 3 tablespoons of sauce over it. Freshly grate the desired amount of wasabi

Wasabi Vinaigrette

By The Oregonian

These vinaigrettes are delicious on greens or drizzled over steamed vegetables, such as asparagus.

Wasabi Vinaigrette
Add grated fresh wasabi to your favorite vinaigrette (1 teaspoon per cup vinaigrette). Or make one by whisking 2 parts vinegar and/or citrus juice with 3 parts oil and adding grated wasabi to taste.

Asian Vinaigrette
Whisk together 3 teaspoons grated fresh wasabi, 6 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 3/4 cup olive oil. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Photo courtesy.

Fresh Wasabi Stems with Miso Dipping Sauce

By Chef David Padberg

In Japan, they love raw vegetables with dipping sauces, much like we love crudité platters, chips and salsa, and bagna cauda. Wasabi stems will end up on such platters. If the stem is too tough for your liking, it can be lightly blanched in boiling water to soften it a little. Here is a nice miso dipping sauce:

Walnuts 4 tbsp
White Miso 1 tbsp
Dark Miso 1 tsp
Dashi (or water) 3 tbsp
Rice Vinegar
2 tsp

Puree all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. You can adjust the thickness of the dipping sauce to meet your needs.

Wasabi Mayonnaise

By Chef David Padberg

This is a great all purpose wasabi condiment. The flavors of wasabi are preserved in fat, so it lasts a little longer, and you can put it on anything from hamburgers to potato salad, seafood salads, chicken salad, it goes with everything.

INGREDIENTS

Egg Yolk 1
Canola Oil 1 cup
Rice Vinegar 2 tbsp
Wasabi 2 tbsp
Dijon Mustard 1 tsp
Soy Sauce 1 tbsp

Whisk the egg yolk and Dijon mustard together in a stainless steel bowl. Begin to slowly add the canola oil in a steady stream into the egg yolk while you whisk. Once you begin to emulsify the oil into the yolk, add half of the vinegar, and continue whisking in the remaining oil. Then stir in the other flavorings.

Pickled Wasabi GREENS

By Chef David Padberg

This is a simple and fairly common salt pickle in Japan, where the leaves and stems are more readily available. They are quick and easy to prepare, and can be added to other dishes like cooked rice, marinated cucumbers or seafood, such as tuna poke or salmon.

INGREDIENTS

Wasabi Leaves: 1 pound
Salt: 2 Tablespoons
Sugar: 6 Tablespoons

Chop the wasabi leaves and stalks into 1-2 inch pieces and bruise them by crunching them into a ball in the palms of your hand. Then put them in a stainless steel bowl or zip lock bag and sprinkle with the salt and sugar. Stir the leaves with the salt and sugar and them to marinate for about 45 minutes. They will begin to soften and purge excess water. Rinse off the leaves and dry them a little. You can store them in a bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Photo courtesy.

Wasabi Martini

By The Oregonian

MAKES 1 SERVING

In contrast to most drinks, which get more watery over time, here the initial taste is mild, but after several minutes the heat and flavor intensify. Some wasabi will settle out into the bottom of the glass: It can be stirred back into the liquid with the stem of the leaf (or a swizzle stick). Once you've tried the basic Wasabi Martini, you can experiment with the addition of things like sake, ginger, cucumber, lime juice and olives.

INGREDIENTS

3 ounces vodka
1 teaspoon grated fresh wasabi
Crushed ice
1 small fresh Wasabia japonica leaf with stem or celery leaves, lemon zest curl or a strip of nori draped over the glass

Combine vodka and grated wasabi in a shaker. Add crushed ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with wasabi leaf or celery leaves.

Photo courtesy.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

By The Oregonian

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (see note)
2 tablespoons grated fresh wasabi (grate it 5 minutes before combining with milk mixture)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
1 1/4 cups half-and-half or light cream (use whole milk for less richness)
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (you can use black pepper, but it leaves flecks in the white potatoes)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Bring the potatoes to boil in a large covered pot of cold salted water. Lower the heat and boil until tender when pierced with a fork, about 12 to 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a small saucepan, melt the butter in the milk (use moderately low heat). After the wasabi has stood for 5 minutes after grating, stir it into the butter and milk mixture.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander. Return them immediately to the hot pot and shake them over high heat for about 30 seconds to dry them out.

Peel and mash the potatoes (a ricer is the most efficient way, or use an electric mixer, taking care not to over-blend) and stir in the wasabi cream, salt and pepper.

Note: You can leave the potato peel on for a rustic presentation.

Photo courtesy.

Wagyu flank steak tataki with smashed wasabi-avocado and nori crunch

By Chris Whaley, The American Local, Portland Oregon

4 oz wagyu flank steak
1 ripe avocado
1 oz shaved wasabi
1 lime
1 sheet nori
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 water
1 tsp toasted sesame
1 tbsp sliced scallion
High quality olive oil
Togarashi to taste
Salt to taste

Lightly season flank steak with salt and togarashi, sear on high heat on all sides (approx 20 secs per side). Submerge in ice water for 1 minute, pat dry with towel. Smash avocado with mortar and pestle, fold in juice of half lime, scallion, wasabi and salt to taste. Make this slurry of rice flour and water, dip nori sheet in slurry and fry for 2 minutes at 375 degrees. After cool down, pulse in food processor. Stir in 1/2 tsp lime zest and sesame seed.. Thinly slice steak, dress with sea salt and olive oil. Top with dollop of avocado mixture and sprinkle with nori crunch.

Photo courtesy.

Oysters on the Half Shell with Wasabi Lime Granita

INGREDIENTS

By Chef Chris Padberg

Oysters 1 dozen
Dashi 1 pint
Sugar ½ cup
Lime Juice ¼ cup
Wasabi Rhizome 12 grams

In a stainless steel saucepot, bring the dashi to a simmer and dissolve the sugar in it. While it cools, juice the lime and grate the fresh wasabi paste. Mix the juice and wasabi together and stir into the cool dashi mixture and place in a flat piece of plasticware and store it in the freezer. Once the mixture is frozen, use a fork to scrape the ice into flakes of granita. Shuck the oysters and arrange them on a platter covered with ice cubes or rock salt and garnish with the granita. The sharp yet cool granita blends into the briny, bright oyster. For an extra element of color and texture, garnish with trout roe as well.

Photo courtesy. 

Beef Ribeye with Wasabi Butter & Wasabi Leaf Sauce

By Chef David Padberg

These are two wasabi sauces that go well with steak. The butter would be served on top of the steak, while the leaf sauce would be a plate sauce with the steak on top.

RIBEYE

Ribeye 2 steaks, 10 to 14 oz
Butter 4 tbsp
Wasabi 1 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp

Season the ribeye with salt and pepper and grill to your preference. Meanwhile, grate the fresh wasabi and place it into a small bowl with tempered butter, warm but not melting. Add the salt, and start to work them together into a smooth paste, then shape the butter back into a cylinder. You can roll the butter back up in the waxed paper it came in. Place it in the fridge to chill and firm up slightly. Then cut slices of the butter and place them on the steaks when they come off the grill.

WASABI SAUCE

Spinach 400 grams
Wasabi Leaf 200 grams
Dashi 100 grams
Salt 1 tsp
Xanthan Gum ½ tsp
 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge the cleaned spinach and wasabi leaves into the water. Once it is tender, remove and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly and then weigh the greens. Rough chop them and place them in a blender with the dashi. Puree until smooth, which will take longer than you might think, a full 3 to 4 minutes. Then, while the blender is still spinning, add the xanthan gum, a common cornstarch which thickens without heating (It is now a common item used to stabilize vinaigrettes and used in gluten free baking. You can find it on the shelf of most grocery stores). The puree will look much smoother after adding the xanthan gum. The puree will benefit from passing through a fine mesh strainer to remove excess fiber.

Chef David Padberg